TOP 10 Controversies of World Cup 2019

ICC World Cup: Team India to Wear Orange Jersey in Match Against England, Cong MLA Blames Govt For Saffronising Sport

An ICC source said, "Colour options were given to BCCI and they chose the colour combination that looked the best to them. The whole idea is to be different from blue as England also wears the same shade of blue as India."

This could be how the India jersey would look like (ANI)Mumbai: Little would the Board of Control For Cricket in India (BCCI) have known that the option of kitting out the Indian cricket team in orange as they take on the English side at the ongoing World Cup would be seen as an attempt to saffronise the sport as well.
India play England on June 30.

Soon after the news of orange being the colour of choice for the Indian side came out, Maharashtra Congress MLA M A Khan said, “Yeh sarkaar har cheez ko alag nazar se dekhne aur dikhane ki koshish poore desh mein pichle panch saal se kar rahi hai. Yeh sarkaar bhagwakaran ki taraf iss desh ko le jane ka kaam kar rahi hai (This Government has been trying for the past five years to change the perception of everything. This Government is pushing the country towards saffronisation).”

Meanwhile, an International Cricket Council (ICC) source told ANI, “Colour options were given to BCCI and they chose the colour combination that looked the best to them. The whole idea is to be different from blue as England also wears the same shade of blue as India.”

“Also the design (orange) is taken from India’s old T20 jersey which had orange in it. The designers who are sitting in the USA designed this jersey from something that already existed and not something completely new that fans don’t identify with,” the source added.

Before the start of the World Cup, ICC introduced a new rule asking the teams to sport home and away jerseys in the tournament. The ICC rule said, “For televised ICC events, all participating teams will be required to provide for two different coloured kits, except for the host country which has preference in the choice of colour and may, if it chooses to do so, provide only one coloured kit to be worn in all matches throughout the event. In advance of the event, the teams will benotified which coloured kit will be worn in each match.”

This time, South Africa, who generally sport green jersey with yellow shade, are wearing one that is dominated by yellow with patches of green in the team’s match against Bangladesh. Similarly, Afghanistan, who generally sport blue jersey, wore a jersey with more red added to their blue jersey.

Star Indian opener Rohit Sharma was given out in controversial circumstances against West Indies on Thursday. Rohit was adjudged caught behind by third-umpire off the bowling of Kemar Roach.

In case you didn’t know...

Rohit Sharma along with Virat Kohli are the two pillars of Indian batting in the ongoing World Cup. Virat had elected to bat first after winning the toss. Rohit was looking in fine touch today and had smashed a six and a boundary in the first six overs.

The heart of the matter

However, just as Rohit was looking all set to get a big one, he got a jaffa from Kemar Roach. Roach got one to swing into the right-handed batsman and Rohit had no clue as the ball seemed to go past his inside edge. The West Indian players all up and were confident that Rohit got an inside edge onto the wicketkeeper. Rohit, on the other hand, seemed confident that he has missed the ball.

On-field umpire Richard Illingworth ruled it not-out but West Indies captain Jason Holder went for the review.

The replays were inconclusive. The Snicko showed spikes as the ball crossed the bat but it wasn't conclusive whether the ball brushed the bat or Rohit's pad. However, after only a couple of replays, third umpire Michael Gough ruled it out.

In case of such close calls, the third umpires usually see a lot of replays and take time, but Gough's quick decision to rule it out raised questions among fans and pundits. Everyone watching the game was visibly distraught, including Rohit's wife Ritika Sajdeh, who was watching the proceedings from Old Trafford stand.

What’s next?

Rohit would have an opportunity to make amends when India take on the hosts England on 30th June at Edgbaston in a blockbuster clash.

World Cup 2019: Aftab Alam out of tournament due to breach of ICC and ACB’s code of conduct

Aftab will not be able to continue any further in the tournamentWhat’s the story?

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday approved Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) to replace Aftam Alam with Sayed Ahmad Shirzad in the World Cup squad following the charges of breaching the code of conduct set by the ACB and ICC.

In case you didn’t know…

Aftab Alam has played four matches in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and has picked up four wickets in the course.

Previously, Afghan keeper Mohammad Shahzad was controversially sent back during the World Cup campaign. After returning, he released a video accusing that he could have continued following the injury but a plot was laid down in order to get him out of the team.

The heart of the matter

Afghanistan have been seriously struggling in the tournament and adding salt to the injury, one of their top performing pacers has been disqualified from participating in the tournament by the ICC.

The left-arm pacer was accused of misconduct off the field and in an investigation of the matter carries out by the ICC found him guilty and halting his run the tournament.

The council in its official statement said, “The decision to send Alam back from England has been taken under exceptional circumstances taking into account both ICC and ACB's code of conduct rules and regulations. The decision stops Alam from further participating in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 as he will be under investigation by ACB for the alleged misconduct off the field.”

Following this, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad has been called in as his replacement and the ICC approved ACB’s request under ‘exceptional circumstances’.

What’s next?

Having had a terrible run so far, Afghanistan would look to give their best when they face Pakistan on the 29th of June.